Garter clasp with interlockable double tongue



July 22, 1958 A. EILERTSEN 2,843,909

GARTER CLASP WITH INTERLOCKABLE DOUBLE TONGUE Filed Nov. 14, 1955INVENTOR United States Patent GARTER CLASP WITH INTERLOCKABLE DOUBLETONGUE Adolph Eilertsen, Centerreach, N. Y.

Application November 14, 1955, Serial No. 546,541

2 Claims. (Cl. 24-245) This invention relates to an improved garter gripor clasp, and particularly to a garter grip or clasp constructed whollyof high strength plastic material of one piece construction, including apendant member or strap having a plurality of large body openings, and alocking bar of plastic material having greater thickness than thependant strap which is hinged to the pendant strap by a flexible hingeof the same plastic material, and which is adapted to be threaded intothe openings of the pendant strap, to interlock the fabric of a hosefolded around the locking bar with both the locking bar and pendantstrap, so that any pull developed on the hose fabric will tend to forcethe locking bar against the pendant strap under greater pressure, thependant strap having a plurality of parallel cross bars for connectingthe garter grip or clasp to the pendant strap of a girdle or corset, oneof these cross bar being formed with a diagonal slot to permit of easyassembly of the pendant girdle strap in the openings between theparallel cross bars; the locking bar having greater rigidity than theflexible plastic strap, but having sufficient flexibility to bend whenthe body of the user exerts pressure on the locking bar, as duringsitting or leaning movements, to permit of easy self molding to thecontour of the body of the user, and to avoid any uncomfortable pressureon the legs of the user, due to pressure contact of a chair or otherexternal physical object.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an all plastic garterclasp or grip, which will firmly grip hose fabric without being subjectto accidental separation from the hose, and which will permit the userto engage in strong physical movements without disconnecting the grip orclasp from the hose.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garter clasp or gripwith an improved coupling for connecting the clasp or grip to thependant strap of a girdle or corset.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garter grip or claspwith a pendant strap of high strength plastic material having greatflexibility and a locking bar of limited flexibility which has aninterfitting connection with the flexible strap by means of freelyinsertable end portions, and which when inserted in openings provided inthe pendant flexible strap will constitute a relatively flat coupling,with no metal present, which will increase the grip on the hose fabricfolded over the locking bar, so that slipping is effectively prevented,the locking bar being sufficiently rigid to resist displacement andcollapse when interlocked with the pendant flexible strap and havingmoderate bendability to yield laterally when external pressure from achair or other object is present against the body of the user, thependant strap being connected with a top member having a quick couplingcross bar split midway of its ends and provided with diagonal points topermit to quick sliding of the girdle strap on this member.

With the above and other objects in view the invention comprises certainnew and useful constructions,

Patented July 22, 1958 ICC combinations and arrangements of parts,clearly described in the following specification, and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, showing the locking bar in dotted linesbefore being inserted in the body openings of the pendant flexiblestrap.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, showing the flexible strap arched for theinsertion of the locking bar.

Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the first step of inserting thelocking bar in the body openings of the strap.

Fig. 4 is another similar view, showing the locking part advanced in itsfirst insertion step.

Fig. 5 is a similar view, showing the final step of inserting the bar inthe body openings of the strap.

Fig. 6 is an elevation showing the rear side of the improved gartersupport or grip, before inserting the bar.

Fig. 7 is a similar view, showing the lower end of the bar inserted inthe strap opening.

Fig. 8 is a front view, showing both ends of the bar extending throughthe strap openings.

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view thereof, taken on line 9-9, lookingin the direction of the arrows on Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a detail rear view, showing the use of a metal loop ofimproved construction, and a pendant strap hav ing a hanging loop whichreceives the lower bar of the metal loop.

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view, taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 10,looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 12 is a detail front view of the improved metal loop.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the practicalembodiment of my invention, 10 designates a pendant strap of highstrength plastic material, which may be nylon or any other acceptableplastic mate rial of high tensile strength. This pendant strap is formedintegral with a hanger or top frame 11, which includes the outerhorizontal bars 11a and 11b, and the intermediate horizontal bar 110,which is spaced apart from the bars 11a and 11b to provide the parallelhorizontal slots 11d and He. The intermediate bar 11c is formed with adiagonal entrance slot 11 shown to be located midway of the ends of thebar.

The pendant strap is formed of thinner plastic material than the frame11, the latter being designed to have considerable rigidity, while thependant strap 10 is designed to be flexible and bendable. This pendantstrap is provided with an upper body opening 12, located midway of theside edges of the strap, which is shown to be approximately oval, and alower body opening 13, also of oval shape, which is separated from theupper body opening 12 by the bar 14.

Extending from the rigid head frame 11 is a thin hinge strap 15, whichis integral with the head frame, and which is bendable, and which isconnected to the head frame by the integral hinge joint 15a, and whichis connected to the locking bar 16 by means of the integral hinge joint15]).

The locking bar 16 is sized to be easily inserted in the body openingsof the pendant strap, and is therefore narrower than the pendant strap10. The hinge joint 15a of the hinge strap 15 is connected to the rearside of the locking bar 16 midway of the ends of this locking bar, andthe locking bar has a total length in excess of the overall distancebetween the upper marginal edge of the upper body opening 12 and thelower end edge of the lower body opening 13, so that when the lockingbar is fully inserted in both body openings the ends of the locking barwill extend above and below these body openings, as shown in Fig. 9 insection.

In using the improved garter clasp or grip, the upper end 16a of thelocking bar is first inserted in the upper body opening 12, and thependant strap is flexed, as shown in Fig. 3 for this purpose, with thehose fabric folded around or pushed by the bar end 16a into the opening12. The lower end of the strap is then bent as shown in Fig. 5 and thelower end 1612 of the locking bar 16 is then forced, with the hosefabric, into the lower body opening 13 of the pendant strap.

By flattening the pendant strap and the inserted locking bar against theleg, the hose then exerts a pull which forces the locking bar snuglyagainst the side of the pendant strap, without any offensive bulges, andthe greater the pull of the hose on the coupled parts of the improvedgarter clasp, the better is the holding action on the hose.

To release the hose, the pendant strap is bent upon itself, so that thelower end 1612 of the locking bar may be withdrawn from the lower bodyopening 13 of the pendant strap, and then the upper end 16a of thelocking strap is withdrawn from the upper body opening of the pendingstrap.

In Figs. 10, 11 and 12 I show a modified form of the invention, whereinthe pendant flexible plastic strap 20 is formed with the upper bodyopening 21 and the lower body opening 22, spaced apart by theintervening bar 23, while the locking bar 24 is connected by a hingejoint 24a with the lower end of the flexible hinge strap 25, the upperend of which is flexibly connected with the closed loop 26, the plasticmaterial having a fused joint at 27 which bonds the pendant strap 20 tothe hinge strap 25, and thereby closes the opening 26a of the loop 26.

The loop 26 is mounted on the lower cantilever bar 28 of the metal loop29. This cantilever bar is formed with a recess midway of its ends, inwhich the loop 26 is nested. The cantilever bar and the end 29a of themetal loop 29 have a common diagonal entrance 30a through which thesupporting garter strap is inserted.

The locking bar 24 is used in the same manner as described withreference to the preceding figures.

The diagonal entrance slot 11 of the construction shown in Fig. 1, andthe other associated figures, provides triangular points 11g, which aidin locating the supporting strap S in the entrance slot 11]. This is animprovement over the construction shown in the pending patentapplication Serial 356,017 filed by me on May 19, 1953.

It is understood that various changes in the details of construction,their combination and arrangement may be carried out, within the scopeof the claims, which define the invention herein disclosed.

Having described my invention I claim as new and patentable:

1. A garter clasp of one piece high strength plastic construction,comprising a back frame having means at the upper end thereof to receivea pendant garter strap and a flexible hanger integral with said upperend and de pending therefrom, the back frame having openings thereinlocated one above the other and spaced longitudinally from the upper endand a flexible tongue connected to said hanger midway of its ends andhaving a length suffieient to extend above and below said openings, theupper end portion of said tongue being adapted to be inserted in theupper opening and to have hose folded on the same and the lower endportion of said tongue being adapted to enter the lower opening and havehose folded thereon. I

2. A garter clasp constructed of high strength plastic materialcomprising a head portion having slots to receive a garter strap, apendant frame having longitudinally spaced openings located one abovethe other, and a flexible hanger integral with the head and provided onits lower end with a flexible tongue integral with the hanger andconnected thereto midway of the upper and lower ends of the tongue, saidtongue having a length extending above the upper opening and below thelower opening, the lower end of the hanger in its hose holding positionbeing located midway of said openings, the upper end of the tongue beingadapted to be inserted with hose folded thereon into said upper openingso as to extend upwardly of said opening, the lower end of the tonguebeing adapted to be inserted with hose folded thereon into the loweropening so as to extend with hose below said lower opening, the hangerand the tongue being restrained flat against the frame by the tension ofthe hose.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

